USDA Agricultural Biotechnology Research

Peter Burfening, Ph.D.National Program Leader, Animal Genome Program

National Research InitiativeCSREES, USDA

Agricultural BiotechnologyA range of tools, including traditional breeding techniques, that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to make or modify products; improve plants or animals; or develop microorganisms for specific agricultural uses. Modern biotechnology today includes the tools of genetic engineering.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&navid=AGRICULTURE&contentid=BiotechnologyGlosary.xml

Agricultural BiotechnologyA set of biological techniques developed through basic research and now applied to research and product development. Biotechnology refers to the use of recombinant DNA, cell fusion, and new bioprocessing techniques.

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/biotech/res/biotechnology_res_glossary.html

World Food SituationCirca 1965

• In the late 1960s, famine was a serious threat in Asia.

• Professor Paul Ehrlich shocked the world in his 1968 bestseller The Population Bomb.– “The battle to feed all of humanity is over,"– "In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of

people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now."

• Clearly these predictions didn’t happen!

Changes in World Grain Production• 1950 the world produced 692 million tons of grain

for 2.2 billion people; by 1992 production was 1.9 billion tons for 5.6 billion people -- 2.8 times the grain for 2.2 times the population.

• 1950 grain output of 692 million tons came from 1.7 billion acres of cropland, the 1992 output of 1.9 billion tons from 1.73 billion acres -- 170 % increase from one percent more land.

• From 1965 to 1990 the globe's daily per capita intake grew from 2,063 calories to 2,495, with an increased proportion as protein.

Impact of Agricultural Research on Americans

Impact of Agricultural Research on Americans

Trends in Food Expenditures as a Share of Disposable Personal Income

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At Home

Trends in U.S. Milk Production

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more milk with 48% fewer dairy cows than in 1960

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Milk Production Increases Due To Improved Breeding Selection

↑ 92%

2001 Males

Day 43 Day 57 Day 71 Day 85

1957 MalesBROILERS

Havenstein and Qureshi, 2004

Trends in U.S. Corn Production

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U.S. Produced 235% more CornOn 23% more acres

USDA Research Organization

• Research, Education and Economics (REE)– Agricultural Research Service (ARS)– Cooperative State Research, Education and

Extension Service (CSREES)– Economic Research Service (ERS)– National Agricultural Statistics Service

(NASS)• US Forest Service (USFS)

ARS Mission• ARS conducts research to develop and

transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to: – ensure high-quality, safe food, and other

agricultural products – assess the nutritional needs of Americans – sustain a competitive agricultural economy – enhance the natural resource base and the

environment, and – provide economic opportunities for rural citizens,

communities, and society as a whole.

ARS

• USDA’s primary intramural (in-house) research organization– $1.1 billion fiscal year 2007 budget– 2,100 scientists – 6,000 other employees – 100 research locations including a few in

other countries– 1,200 research projects within 22 National

Programs

Livestock and Range Research Laboratory

• Fort Keogh was established by Congress as an Army Calvary post on July 22, 1876, approximately one month after the Battle of the Little Bighorn

• In 1907, all infantry troops were withdrawn• In 1909 it was designated a Remount Station. During

this period, more horses were processed here than at any other army post in the U. S. Horses were shipped worldwide.

• In 1922 all military personnel were withdrawn and in 1924, Congress transferred Fort Keogh to the USDA for the purpose of conducting agricultural research.

Livestock and Range Research Laboratory

• Fort Keogh is a 55,000 acre rangeland beef cattle research facility– 22 USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

employees• 8 scientists; 2 geneticists, 2 reproductive physiologists, 1

range animal nutritionist, and 3 rangeland scientists– Operated in cooperation with the Montana

Agricultural Experiment Station• 20 Montana Agricultural Experiment Station employees

paid from state funds generated by livestock sales• 1 State beef cattle extension specialists

Soybean/maize Germplasm, Pathology, and Genetics Research Unit

• Acquire, characterize, evaluate, maintain, utilize, and distribute germplasm accessions in the genus Glycine

• Identify genes controlling traits of economic importance in soybean including seed yield, seed composition and disease resistance

• Investigate soybean genomic responses to microbial interactions

• Determine the genetic variability of soybean fungal pathogens

• Acquire, maintain, develop, evaluate and distribute genetic and cytogenetic stocks of maize

• Evaluate induction and characterize regulatory components of gene expression in maize in response to anaerobic stress.

National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation

• Conserves genetic resources of crops and animals important to U.S. agriculture and landscapes.

• Both a storage and research facility– Plant Germplasm Preservation Research

• Developing strategies and technologies to preserve plant geneticdiversity in ex situ genebanks

– National Animal Germplasm Program • Coordinate the availability, conservation and utilization of animal

and aquatic genetic resources in order to provide optimum accessto desirable genes and gene complexes that will contribute to the future food and fiber supply

CSREES• USDA’s primary extra-mural (outside of

USDA) research organization– Unique mission is to advance knowledge for

agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities by supporting research, education, and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System and other partner organizations.

– CSREES doesn't perform actual research, education, and extension but rather helps fund it at the state and local level.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

CSREES• CSREES' two key mechanisms for

accomplishing its mission of "advancing knowledge" are: – National program leadership. We help states

identify and meet research, extension, and education priorities in areas of public concern that affect agricultural producers, small business owners, youth and families, and others.

– Federal assistance. Provides annual formula grants to land-grant universities and competitively granted funds to researchers in land-grant and other universities.

CSREES• Federal Assistance

– Competitive Funding. Awarded based upon the recommendations of peer review panels. CSREES requests proposals, and a panel of subject-matter experts reviews each proposal and prioritizes projects for funding.

– Formula Grants. Provides support for research and extension activities at land-grant institutions through federal funds that are appropriated to the states on the basis of statutory formulas.

– Congressionally Directed Funding (earmarks). Each year Congress directs CSREES to fund and administer certain state or commodity-specific programs

Sources of CSREES FY 2008 Funding($ x103)

Higher Education, $38,791, 3%

Integrated Grants, $41,990, 4%

Outreach to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers,

$6,395, 1%

Formula Extension, $310,510, 26%

National Research Initiative, $190,883, 16%

Tribal Colleges Endowment Fund , $15,089, 1%

Other: non-competitive, $221,514, 18%

Special Research Grants, $107,088, 9%

Formula Research, $266,625, 22%

Not Included• SBIR ($18,000)• Biotech Risk ($3,000)

Competitively awarded,

$278,059, 23%Non-Competitively Funded, $935,885,

77%

Sources of CSREES FY 2008 Funding($ x103)

Not Including• SBIR ($18,000)• Biotech Risk ($3,000)

National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program

• USDA’s Primary Competitive Grants program

• FY 07 budget of $190,000,000• Supports both Fundamental (60%) and

Mission Oriented (40%) research• Supports scientists at all academic

institutions, Federal research agencies, private and industrial organizations, and as individuals

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program 2007• Agricultural Genomics and Biosecurity

– 155 projects totaling $64,800,948• Agricultural Production and Value-added

Processing– 130 projects totaling $38,397,491

• Agroecosystems and Rural Prosperity– 91 projects totaling $29,595,434

• Nutrition, Food Safety and Quality– Supported 75 projects totaling $31,579,004

• Total of 451 projects totaling $164,372,877

National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program 2007

% of GrantsType of Institution

77.6Land-Grant university

8.3Public non-land grant university

5.3Private college/university

3.3Private research

5.1Federal (primarily ARS)

0.4Individual/other

Land-Grant Universities (LGU)

• CSREES primary partner in conducting it research, extension and education mission

Land Grant Universities• 1862 -- the Federal Government granted federally

owned land (hence the name “land-grant”) to each state for the development of a university that would serve the citizens of the state in the areas of research, education, and extension.

• 1892 -- congress appropriated research funding to land-grant universities (State Ag. Experiment Stations) based on a formula.

• 1914 -- Extension was formalized, with the Smith-Lever Act which established the partnership between the agricultural colleges and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide for cooperative agricultural extension work

Land-Grant Universities• Research programs generally focus on state and/or

regional priorities rather than national problems• Scientist generally have split appointments• Scientist are supported by multiple funding sources

and can compete for funding from many agencies– AES both state appropriated dollars and formula– NRI– NSF– NIH– DOD– Etc.

ARS - LGU collaborations• Many ARS laboratories are located on LGU

campuses• Almost all ARS scientist have adjunct

appointments in the LGU system• Some ARS scientist are embedded in LGU

departments• LGU scientist collaborate with ARS scientists

and work on ARS research locations• LGU and ARS scientists serve on graduate

student committees and some ARS scientist chair graduate student committees

ARS - LGU collaborations• ARS and LGU scientist serve on multi-

state research and extension committees together

• ARS and LGU scientists often jointly plan and fund research efforts

• ARS and CSREES hold joint national stakeholder workshops to help prioritize research and extension efforts

Summary• USDA supported research has a long history

of significant accomplishments contributing to solving national and world food and agricultural problems

• Scientists at ARS and Land-Grant universities work both independently and collaboratively to solve present and future problems.

• USDA has a variety of funding mechanisms to accomplish their goals

• Biotechnology in the broadest sense is an integral part of most of USDA’s current and future research portfolio.

Thank youand any

Questions?

I am sure many of our producers are wondering how BIOTECHNOLOGY will

affect their future